Collaborative Data Modeling

Get in touch to discuss your data modeling requirements; we have very high levels of expertise and don’t like to be beaten on price. You can read more on our methods below.

Our approach is called collaborative data modeling; it brings data modelers together with business subject matter experts to collaboratively design data models that work. BI System Builders uses a structured approach known as Business Event Analysis and Modeling (BEAM) to achieve this. We’ve been associated with the author Lawrence Corr for several years, and you can read about the BEAM method developed by Lawrence in his book Agile Data Warehouse Design (ADWD). You can also read our book review of ADWD here.

We use the BEAM techniques in collaborative workshops to
identify the data stories within a business. This is achieved through lots of
idea generation, whiteboarding and scribing; a technique known as
modelstorming. Modelstorming is similar in concept to brainstorming but the
effort is aimed at developing data models.

We’ve been operating the collaborative workshops for several years and at the following companies, Volkswagen Group, Dixons Retail, NFU Mutual, Vision Express, and Interflora.

The data models developed are known as dimensional models and are based on Ralph Kimball concepts. The main data modeler is Russell Beech who has twenty years dimensional modeling experience across numerous industries and also took training directly from Ralph.

There are three ways that we can help you:

You’ve already tried modelstorming and dimensional
modeling yourself but things are not progressing as you’d hope. Don’t worry, we
can come on site and work with you to run some workshops to get you started,
passing on our knowledge and experience as we go.

You already have reports and analytics but you
feel that they are overly complex, they’re difficult to customise and support,
and when business users come with new requirements, developing the new reports
can be very challenging. The issue here is frequently the underlying data
model. We offer a service where we analyse and assess your existing data models
against best practice designs and make recommendations. If the recommendation
is a new design, we can help you with the new design.

You don’t have any data models yet but you would
like to. Perhaps your current reporting is based on spreadsheets and you now
need more flexibility. You want to get started on the right foot with best
practice data models that meet your reporting and analytical needs. We can come
on site, take you through collaborative data modeling workshops, and design
your data models for you.